Coreopsis plant named ‘Tweety’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Coreopsis  plant named ‘Tweety’, characterized by its bright yellow-colored flowers, medium green-colored, deeply-dissected foliage having thread-like segments, low to moderate growth vigor, well-branched, upright-mounded, compact growth habit, is disclosed.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Coreopsisverticillata.

Variety denomination: ‘Tweety’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofCoreopsis plant botanically known as Coreopsis verticillata andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Tweety’. The new cultivaroriginated from an open pollination in 2005 in a controlled nurserylocation in Boskoop, The Netherlands between unknown male and femaleCoreopsis verticillata plants. The new cultivar was selected in 2007 inthe nursery location in Boskoop, The Netherlands from the seedlingresults of the open pollination.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings since2007 in Boskoop, The Netherlands has demonstrated that the new cultivarreproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as hereindescribed, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations ofsuch asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedlyobserved and can be used to distinguish ‘Tweety’ as a new and distinctcultivar of Coreopsis plant:

-   -   1. Bright yellow-colored flowers;    -   2. Medium green-colored, deeply-dissected foliage having        thread-like segments;    -   3. Low to moderate growth vigor;    -   4. Well-branched, upright-mounded, compact growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of possible Coreopsisverticillata parents primarily in growth habit. The new cultivar has amore mounded and compact growth habit.

Of the many commercially available Coreopsis cultivars, the most similarin comparison to the new cultivar is ‘Zagreb’, not patented. However, inside by side comparisons, plants of the new cultivar differ from plantsof ‘Zagreb’ in at least the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar have a more compact-mounded growth        habit, as measured by plant height, than plants of ‘Zagreb’;    -   2. Plants of the new cultivar have smaller inflorescences than        plants of ‘Zagreb’; and    -   3. Plants of the new cultivar have narrower leaf segments than        plants of ‘Zagreb’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in thephotographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detaileddescription, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Tweety’. Theplants were grown in 1.5 liter pots for one year in an outdoor nurserylocation located in Boskoop, The Netherland.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habitof ‘Tweety’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an inflorescence of ‘Tweety’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,2007 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significanceare used. The color values were determined under natural lightconditions in The Netherlands.

The following descriptions and measurements describe plants producedfrom cuttings and grown under conditions comparable to those used incommercial practice. The plant data was taken in September 2010 on1.5-liter container grown plants grown for one year in an outdoornursery in Boskoop, The Netherlands with daytime temperatures between12° C. and 28° C. and nighttime temperatures between 4° C. and 16° C. Nopinching, growth retardants or photoperiodic treatments were used.

-   Botanical classification: Coreopsis verticillata cultivar Tweety.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Unknown Coreopsis verticillata plant.        -   Male parent.—Unknown Coreopsis verticillata plant.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 21 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 42 days at            20° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous, thin, white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Commercial crop time.—Approximately 10 to 12 weeks from a            rooted cutting to finish in a one-gallon container.        -   Growth habit and general appearance.—Herbaceous perennial,            low to moderate growth vigor, well-branched,            upright-mounded, compact growth habit.        -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane:            Approximately 22.1 cm. Width: Approximately 20.0 cm.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching, pinching improves basal            branching. Quantity of lateral branches per plant:            Approximately 54.        -   Lateral branch.—Strength: Strong. Length: Approximately            8.9 cm. Diameter: Approximately 2.0 mm. Length of central            internode: Approximately 2.8 cm. Texture: Slightly glossy,            glabrous. Color of young and mature stems: 144A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   General description.—Quantity of leaves per lateral branch:            Approximately 14. Fragrance: None detected. Form: Single.            Arrangement: Opposite.        -   Leaves.—Aspect: Acute angle to stem; perpendicular to obtuse            angle to stem with age. Shape: Upper leaves linear, lower            leaves overall shape ovate having three to five linear lobes            having a thread-like appearance. Margin: Entire, deeply            dissected. Apex of divisions: Acuminate. Base: Sessile,            truncate. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Length of mature leaf:            Approximately 3.3 cm. Width of mature leaf: 2.9 cm. Texture            of upper surface: Very slightly glossy, glabrous. Texture of            lower surface: Moderately glossy, glabrous. Color of upper            and lower surfaces of young foliage: 143B with            indistinguishable venation. Color of upper and lower            surfaces of mature foliage: 147B indistinguishable venation.-   Flowering description:    -   -   Flowering habit.—‘Tweety’ is freely flowering under outdoor            growing conditions with substantially continuous blooming            from spring through autumn and year-round in greenhouse            environment.        -   Lastingness of individual inflorescence on the            plant.—Approximately 14 days.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   General description.—Type: Daisy-type composite,            actinomorphic. Persistent. Shape: Round. Aspect: Erect.            Arrangement: Terminal capitulum, positioned above and below            the foliage. Quantity per plant: Approximately 50. Diameter:            Approximately 2.6 cm. Depth: Approximately 8.0 mm.            Fragrance: None detected.        -   Peduncle.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect. Length:            Approximately 3.4 cm. Diameter: Less than 1.0 mm. Texture:            Glabrous, slightly glossy. Color: 143B.        -   Bud.—Rate of opening: Generally takes 4 to 5 days for bud to            progress from first color to fully open flower. Quantity per            plant: Approximately 100.        -   Bud just before opening.—Shape: Oblate. Diameter:            Approximately 4.0 mm. Depth: Approximately 3.0 mm. Color:            152A to 152B.        -   Ray florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: Approximately 8.            Arrangement: In a single whorl. Aspect: Slightly concave.            Shape: Elliptic. Margin: Entire. Apex: Three acute tips.            Base: Cuneate. Length: Approximately 1.2 cm. Width:            Approximately 5.0 mm. Texture of upper and lower surfaces:            Glabrous, axially ribbed. Color of upper and lower surfaces            when first open: 13A. Color of upper and lower surfaces when            fully open: 12A, transitioning to 14B with age.        -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: Approximately 35.            Arrangement: Massed in center of inflorescence. Shape:            Tubular, lower 90% fused. Margin: Entire. Apex: Five acute            tips. Base: Fused. Length: Approximately 8.0 mm. Diameter:            Approximately 2.0 mm. Texture: Slightly glossy, glabrous.            Color of upper or inner surface when first and fully open:            151D with tips of 1A. Color of lower or outer surface when            fully open: 151D with tips of 1A.        -   Disc.—Diameter: Approximately 6.0 mm. Depth: Approximately            5.0 mm.        -   Receptacle.—Shape: Cone. Height: Approximately 1.0 mm.            Diameter at base: Approximately 2.0 mm. Color: 144B to 144C.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence Approximately 20.            Arrangement: In two equally divided whorls. Base of outer            bracts fused into cup-shaped base, inner bracts surround            receptacle, slightly imbricate, held close to ray florets.        -   Outer phyllaries.—Shape of free portion: Lanceolate. Margin:            Entire. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Length: Approximately            5.0 mm. Width: Approximately 1.0 mm. Texture of upper and            lower surfaces: Glabrous, glossy. Color of upper and lower            surfaces: 144B.        -   Inner phyllaries.—Shape: Ovate. Margin: Entire. Apex:            Broadly acute. Base: Truncate. Length: Approximately 4.0 mm.            Width: Approximately 2.5 mm. Texture of upper and lower            surfaces: Glabrous, slightly glossy. Color of upper and            lower surfaces: 152C to 152D.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Stamen quantity: 5. Stamen length: Approximately            5.0 mm. Filament length: Approximately 3.0 mm. Filament            color: 150C. Anther shape: Oblong, basifixed. Anther length:            Approximately 2.0 mm. Anther color: 200A. Pollen amount:            Moderate to abundant. Pollen color: 8A. Gynoecium: Present            on ray and disc florets. Pistil quantity: 1 per floret.            Pistil length: Approximately 8.0 mm. Stigma shape: Cleft.            Stigma length: Approximately 1.0 mm. Stigma color: 13B.            Style length: Approximately 5.0 mm. Style color: 154C to            154D. Ovary length: Approximately 2.0 mm. Ovary color: 151D.-   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has    been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests    common to Coreopsis has not been observed.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Coreopsis plant named ‘Tweety’,substantially as herein shown and described.